11.1.12: Gravitation

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Gravitational forces describe how massive objects are attracted to each other. As a consequence of its range, the gravitational force is an extremely important force for massive objects. But is the force responsible for the motion of the planets (a celestial gravitational force) the same force responsible for the motion of objects near the surface of the earth (terrestrial gravitational force)? Yes! In 1685 Newton proposed the idea of universal gravitation, a unification of celestial and terrestrial gravity.